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T O P I C R E V I E W

Robert Pearlman

Charlie Bolden, former NASA Administrator and astronaut, has been named to board of trustees at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

"The Intrepid Museum is a bridge between the heroes of the past and the young minds that will build the future," stated Maj. Gen. Bolden. "As a former astronaut, Marine and NASA Administrator, I am very pleased to bring my experience to the board of trustees and get to work inspiring new generations of leaders, explorers and innovators."

Maj. Gen. Bolden was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 12th NASA Administrator in 2009, where he led a nationwide NASA team to advance the missions and goals of the United States space program. At NASA, Bolden oversaw the safe transition from 30 years of space shuttle missions to a new era of exploration focused on full utilization of the International Space Station and space and aeronautics technology development. The agency's dynamic science activities under Bolden include an unprecedented landing on Mars with the Curiosity rover, launch of a spacecraft to Jupiter, enhancing the nation's fleet of Earth-observing satellites, and continued progress toward the 2019 launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Bolden's 34-year career with the Marine Corps included 14 years as a member of NASA's Astronaut Office, where he traveled to orbit four times, commanding two missions and piloting two others and logging more than 680 hours in space.

As a Naval aviator, Bolden flew more than 100 combat missions in North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, while stationed in Namphong, Thailand between 1972-1973. Bolden was promoted to his final rank of major general in July 1998 and named Deputy Commander of U.S. forces in Japan. He retired from the Marine Corps in 2003. Bolden's many military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in May 2006 and the U.S. Aviation Hall of Fame in October 2017.

Jonnyed

Two or three years ago, in Washington DC, I was able to see Bolden give a talk on leadership, together at an event with Pres. Obama.

What an impressive speaker. Amazingly inspirational and a man of true character.

onesmallstep

Great news! He joins fellow former shuttle astronaut Michael 'Mass' Massimino, who already is an advisor on space programs at the Intrepid, and a professor at Columbia University.

Fra Mauro

I always thought he was a great guy. It's too bad he was NASA Administrator at a time when NASA was struggling to find specific manned spaceflight goals.

Hart Sastrowardoyo

I don't know, nor do I care about the politics at NASA, but I always found Charlie — never Mr. Bolden — to be personable and friendly.

He was the keynote speaker at Monmouth University a few years ago — then-president Paul Gaffney was a classmate of Charlie's at Annapolis — and in addition to the interview I did for the paper, Charlie was kind enough to let me bend his ear a bit about seeing his smiling face at the Shuttle Launch Experience simulator (he was of the opinion it was more realistic in some aspects than the shuttle sim at JSC, with the seats at SLE actually moving and hearing all the sounds).

The highly decorated Marine Corps officer and USC alumnus completed more than three decades of service to the country before overseeing the U.S. space program under President Barack Obama

Charles F. Bolden Jr. MS '77, former NASA administrator and space shuttle pilot, has been elected to the USC Board of Trustees.

A retired Marine Corps major general, Bolden served for 34 years in the military. He earned his master's degree in systems management from USC in 1977 and previously served as a USC trustee from 2003 to 2009 before stepping down to lead NASA.

"Charles Bolden is a courageous leader whose dedicated service to our nation is a testament to his strong character and values," USC President C. L. Max Nikias said. "His wealth of knowledge and experience will be a major asset to our university, and we are thrilled to welcome him back to our board."

Bolden's many accomplishments include logging more than 7,000 hours as a naval aviator and test pilot, commanding and piloting four missions aboard the space shuttle and serving as commanding general in support of Operation Desert Thunder in Kuwait. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, he served as NASA's top official until January 2017.

"It feels great to come back to USC," Bolden said. "I'm excited about the opportunity to continue my work with this great institution and its many talented faculty members, students and researchers."

Encouraged by convergence

Bolden said he is encouraged by the university's emphasis on convergence — bringing together scientists, engineers and medical researchers from different disciplines to tackle society's toughest problems. He sees aerospace engineering and technology as a valuable and necessary component of those efforts.

"I think USC has done a great job so far, and I hope to see that progress continue," he said. "I've also been very impressed with the increased focus on veterans' education and the many related programs that have been launched over the past decade. USC is providing veterans with the tools they need to become productive and successful members of the community."

During his time at the helm of the U.S. space program, Bolden oversaw the transition from shuttle missions to a focus on the International Space Station and the development of new aeronautics and space technologies. NASA achievements under his watch include the successful Curiosity rover mission to Mars and the Juno spacecraft mission to Jupiter.

The agency continued its planning for the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope's successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, which is currently slated for spring 2019. Bolden also pushed for advancements that will enable missions in deep space, including developing the Orion spacecraft and a rocket launch system designed to allow astronauts to visit new destinations like an asteroid or Mars.